February 1961 saw the arrival at JSLS, RAF Tangmere of 44 serving airmen, the first “Tourists” i.e. not direct entrants. This was Course 32R.

Just 32 students graduated in February, 1962 and amongst these were Bryon Kingston, Dave Haysom and Neil Pickles. Dave and Neil were posted to Gatow and Bryon to Pergamos. Neil left the Service in 1966, Dave and Bryon in 1976. Bryon and Neil were good friends at Tangmere, travelling together in Bryon's “Moggy” daily from Bognor to the School while Dave and Neil's friendship blossomed at Gatow during the next four years and has endured to this present day.

Neil and Bryon met up again after 34 years in 1996 when they learned that the closure of RAF North Luffenham was to be marked by a special ceremony and they decided to attend in the hope of meeting former colleagues.

They met not one person!

That evening, during dinner at a local hostelry it was suggested that, between them, they would contact the few for whom they had addresses with a view to discovering the whereabouts of others and to organising a get-together.

Dave was approached to make the team a trio and he readily agreed and somehow, the decision was made to hold an “inaugural” reunion in Leicester . Accommodation was arranged at the Post House with a Gala Dinner Dance taking place at the Leicester City Football Club Banqueting Suite.

This first reunion was a resounding success and, following persistent demands from all and sundry it was decided to hold a Millennium Reunion in Berlin , the city so well known and loved by most lingies.

The Luftwaffe Commandant of the Julius Steinhoff Kaserne (The RAF Gatow that was from 1945 to 1994), Oberst iG Helmut Becker welcomed the RAF with open arms and put the full facilities of the camp at the disposal of the Association. The help and cooperation extended by Helmut Becker and all the Berliners made this reunion so very special.

At this time Bryon believed it appropriate that an Association be formed formally to establish continuity of contact and up-dating news (gossip!) etc. The “Team” concurred and so the Royal Air Force Linguists' Association was born. Jock Dempster was invited to become President and, happily, he accepted. Neil became Chairman, Dave vice-Chairman, Bryon Honorary Secretary. Bill McCarthy succeeded Gordon Bishop as Honorary Treasurer in 2002. Since then the Committee has been augmented by George Bason who has undertaken the role of Welfare Officer and Liz Malia, our Events Coordinator.

Further reunions were held in Leicester “The Golden Jubilee”, 2002 and our “Salute to Berlin ” in 2003. The next humdinger will be in York , 2004.

The RAFLING NEWS is published quarterly and a programme is in train to commemorate the existence of the various locations of JSSL/JSLS by the mounting of suitable plaques. The first of these was the Tangmere presentation in July, 2003 which was very well attended as reported in the local press. The next, at the DCLI Museum , Bodmin will be unveiled on 14 th June, 2004 followed by Crail later in the year.

The Association goes from strength to strength but, like all similar organisations, it needs the support of the very people that it exists to serve…

.......THE MEMBERS.